Goombas, known in Japan as Kuribo(Japanese: クリボー,Hepburn: Kuribō?), are a species of sentient mushrooms from Nintendo's Mario franchise. They first appeared in the NES video game Super Mario Bros. as the first enemy players encounter. They have appeared outside of video games, including in film, television, and other media. They are usually brown and are most commonly seen walking around aimlessly, often as an obstacle, in video games. They were included late in the development of Super Mario Bros. in order to create a simple, easy-to-defeat enemy.

The species is considered one of the most iconic elements of the Mario series, appearing in nearly every game in the series, and is often ranked amongst the most famous enemies in video games. Crave Online described it as the series' "everyman". It has been compared to other generic enemies in video games, such as the "Met" enemy from the Mega Man series. The video game incarnation has been made into several plush toys.

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A shiitake, on which the Goomba is based. The pileus and stipe of the shiitake share similar colours to the Goomba's

Goombas were first introduced in the video game Super Mario Bros., and were the last enemy added to the game after play testers stated that the Koopa Troopa was too tricky as an enemy. As a result, the designers decided to introduce the Goomba as a basic enemy.[citation needed] When they decided to do this, however, they had very little space left in the game. They used a single image twice to convey the notion that the Goombas are walking, rotating it back and forth, causing it to look lopsided as it walks and giving the appearance of a trot. The Goomba's resemblance to the Super Mushroom forced designers to change the mechanics and appearance of the Super Mushroom. They used the Goomba's ability to be jumped on and defeated to teach players how to deal with enemies and to not fear the Super Mushroom.

Early concept art for the Super Mario Bros. film showed that the design of the Goombas were originally intended to be for Koopa Troopas, another kind of Mario enemy.[3] A separate company from the primary makeup departments designed the Goombas in the film.[4]

The name Goomba is derived from the Italian "Goombah"[5] which means a member of a, usually Italian American, secretive criminal organization.[6] Also, in Hungary, Gomba means "mushroom". In Japan, Goombas are called "Kuribō", which is loosely translated as "chestnut person".[5]

A Goomba as seen in Super Mario Bros. Its late addition to the game resulted in its simple animation

In two dimensional games in the series, their movement is merely walking from side to side and they are most commonly defeated by being stomped on, which flattens them. They debuted in Super Mario Bros.,[2] described in the manual as Little Goomba, and have reappeared in nearly all later games in the series. In contrast to Goombas' behavior in two dimensional games, in which most would not pursue Mario, Goombas in Super Mario 64 (as well as Galaxy 1-2), upon noticing him, will attempt to crash into him. There are several different variations of the Goomba; notable ones include the Paragoomba, which is a Goomba with wings introduced in Super Mario Bros. 3, and the Microgoomba, a tiny variation of the Goomba introduced in Super Mario Bros. 3, and sometimes found under blocks. Super Mario Land introduced a smaller variant called the Chibibo (renamed Goombo). In a single level in Super Mario Bros. 3, Goombas can be seen wearing a shoe called "Kuribo's Shoe".[2]Super Mario World introduced a different variation of the Goomba known as the Galoomba (Kuribon in Japan), which is spherical in nature and cannot be flattened when stomped, but instead can be picked up and thrown into other enemies. Super Mario Sunshine introduced an enemy called Strollin' Stu andPuffy Widget, which The Perfect Guide of Super Mario Sunshine describes as the "Isle Delfino versions of Goombas". Large Goombas called Grand Goombas are featured in Super Mario Galaxy. Grand Goombas with wings are called Grand Paragoombas that first appeared in the 1990 DIC Entertainment animated series The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 only in the episode "Princess Toadstool For President". Grand Paragoombas later appeared in Super Mario Galaxy 2, alongside the normal variant which is commonly found in levels. Goombas appear as bosses in multiple games in the series. A Goomba first appeared as a boss in Paper Mario as King Goomba, and later in Super Mario 64 DS and New Super Mario Bros. as Goomboss and Mega Goomba respectively. There are also Tail Goombas that appears in Super Mario 3D Land along with the Goomba Tower. Super Mario 3D World also includes Cat Goomba.

In the Super Mario Bros. live-action film, Goombas were originally inhabitants of Dinohattan who opposed the tyrannical King Koopa's rule, and were devolved as punishment for this disloyalty. In the film, upon being de-evolved, these people became Goombas, who were large, reptilian monsters (as opposed to the usual mushroom appearance seen in the games) with hulking bodies and disproportionately small, circular heads, who wore trenchcoats.

Goombas appear as enemies in The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening in the underground side-scrolling passages throughout the game, and also in the seventh dungeon, Eagle's Tower. They can be defeated either by striking them with a sword or by jumping on top of them with Roc's Feather.

The Goomba has become an icon of the Mario series, both in its appearance and the concept of "stomping on them", often referenced as one of the key elements of the original Super Mario Bros.[8][9][10][11][12] The Goomba has appeared in multiple pieces of merchandise, including a Happy Meal toy as part of a Super Mario Bros. 3 promotion by Nintendo and McDonald's.[13] A plush Goomba that plays the Goomba "defeat" noise as well as the Game Over tune at certain points was also released.[14]IGN editor Craig Harris described the Goomba as a "household name" along with Koopa Paratroopas and King Koopa.[15] Video game musician and reviewer Tommy Tallarico commented that many new converts to gaming have "never even made Super Mario smoosh a Goomba".[16] In a criticism of video game storytelling, Gamasutra editor Daniel Cook referenced Goombas being mushrooms, but also that it was a less important fact than them being squat, to-scale with the world, and able to be squashed.[17] In an article discussing happiness in video games, Gamasutra editor Lorenzo Wang listed the sound the Goomba makes when it's squished as one of his pleasures.[18] IGN editor Mark Birnhaum praised the sound effects of Super Mario Bros., giving similar praise to the sound of the Goomba being stomped on.[19] It was compared to the Met enemy from the Mega Man series, calling them the "Goomba of the Mega Man series."[20] Crave Online editor Joey Davidson described the Goomba as the series' "everyman", describing it as both defenseless and of little threat, listing such exceptions as the giant Goombas seen in Super Mario Galaxy.[21] A common enemy in Braid has been compared to the Goomba, Gaming Age editor Dustin Chadwell calling it a "slightly skewed version of the Goomba."[22]GameDaily listed Goomba as the fourth best Mario enemy, stating that every gamer has run into one as Mario before.[23]Destructoid listed the deaths of Goombas as one of the six sinister things about Super Mario; saying that "whether or not the Goombas are actually working for Bowser, they certainly don't seem like killers, or even soldiers. They walk around aimlessly, and if you touch them, you get hurt. Is that worth killing over?"[24]Nintendo Power listed them as one of their favourite punching bags, stating that while it's hard not to feel bad for them, it is still satisfying.[25]

The Super Mario Bros. film version of the Goomba has received negative reception. IGN editor Jesse Schedeen called Bowser and his Goombas the most screwed up part of the film, commenting that it would be difficult to create a live action version of the Goomba that deviates from the original version more than this.[26] An Entertainment Weekly article called the design creepy, stating that its "foam-latex skin had to be baked for five hours at 200 degrees to achieve that lovely reptilian effect."[27] The facial design of the character Venom in Spider-Man 3 was compared to the film versions of the Goomba by Crave Online, describing Venom's face as stupid, short, and rounded.[28] Hal Hinson of the Washington Post called the Goombas "big dumb goons with shrunken little dino heads", yet also calling them the "best movie heavies since the flying monkeys in 'The Wizard of Oz'".[29]